Beading thin metal cylinders



A. L. sTUcHBERY ETAL 3,089,533

BEADING THIN METAL CYLINDERS May 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2l, 1960 4. w asa:

m m 1 L m M v. .mll .m 'II'.IIIII.. wm nl.. E nD Illu H w l 5 l1. R D. Hf R A Joz E F FR A N EK By/WK'LYM tlorneyS May 14, 1963 A. L. STUCHBERY ETAL. 3,089,533

READING THIN METAL CYLINDERS Filed March 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l n ventors ARTHUR L. STUCHBERY JOZEF FRAN/EK B y/O,i gby Attorneys United States Patent O BEADING THIN METAL CYLINDERS Arthur Leslie Stuchbery, Enleld, and Jozef Franck, London, England, assignors to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Mar. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 16,565 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 26, 1959 14 Claims. (Cl. 153-70) This invention relates -to beading thin metal cylinders.

It -is found that cylindrical cans having thin metal bodies, for example tinplate or aluminium bodies, sometimes suffer damage by denting during processing thereof in canneries or during transport thereof after lilling and closing. Such damage often occurs in the vicinityk of an end seam of the can and is caused by pressure exerted thereon by the end seam, or chime, of an adjoining can which is pressed against it.

It has been proposed to effect strengthening of can bodies by providing them, in the regions thereof most subject to damage in the manner aforesaid, with beads or ribs which may be annular or helical, or may extend Ilengthwise of the bodies Iand which may be continuous or discontinuous. The beading or ribbing of a body is usually effected by placing the cylindrical body over a peripherally ribbed mandrel and applying lateral rolling pressure thereto. This process is found to be satisfactory if the body is of short length but should the body be relatively long or, as is sometimes the case, should the cylinder consist of two lor more integral bodies to .be ribbed simultaneously and then separated one from the other it is found that the forces necessary to perform the ribbing are of such an order as will produce excessive deflection ofthe mandrel, particularly when the mandrel has a relatively small diameter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for effecting ribbing of long thin metal cylinders, particularly cylinders the length of which is greater than that of an individual can body, which permits the application to a mandrel lof the high pressure lrequired to effect ribbing of the cylinders While avoiding excessive deflection of the mandrel.

According to the invention there is provided the method of ribbing a thin metal cylinder which includes disposing the cylinder about a peripherally ribbed mandrel the diameter of which is slightly less than that of the interior of the cylinder and rotating the cylinder and mandrel about the longitudinal axis thereof while applying opposed radial pressures thereto to conform the cylinder to the ribbed pattern of the mandrel.

Further according to `the invention there is provided the method of ribbing a thin metal cylinder which includes disposing the cylinder about a peripherally ribbed mandrel the diameter of -which is slightly less than that vof the interior of the cylinder and rotating the cylinder and mandrel about the longitudinal axis thereof while .applying opposed radial pressures thereto to conform the cylinder to the ribbed pattern of the mandrel and causing ythe cylinder to assume an oval cross-section the minor axis of which corresponds to t-he diameter of the mandrel lin the region of the ribbing provided thereon.

Still further according to the invention there is provided apparatus .for ribbing a thin metal cylinder, comprising at least one peripherally ribbed mandrel movable in a predetermined path by a support therefor, said manice 2 drel having a diameter which is slightly less than that of a cylinder to be ribbed and .being rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, and opposed pressure applying devices yco-operating with the mandrel during rotation thereof to apply radial pressure lto a thin metal cylinder surrounding the mandrel.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood some embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE il is a broken elevation of one form of apparatus according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a section on line ll-IL FIGURE 1,

FIGUR-E 3 illustrates a mandrel for use with the apparatus,

FIGURE 4 illustrates schematically the mode of operation of the apparatus,

FIGURE 5 illustrates a can provided with horizontal ribbing by apparatus according to the invention,

fFIGURE 6 illustrates a can provided with vertical ribbing by apparatus accord-ing to the invention,

FIGURE 7 illustrates schematically an alternative form of apparatus according to the invention, and

`FIGURE 8 illustrates schematically a still further alternative form of apparatus.

Referring to FIGURES l and Z the apparatus therein diagrammatically illustrated for effecting ribbing of a cylinder comprises opposed pressure-applying devices which consist of a rotatable roller 1 carried by frame members 2, 3, and a rail 4 having a curved surface 5 facing and spaced from the rotatable roller 1 which is provided with a pattern 6, FIGURE 1, of ribbing to mate with a similar pattern 7 formed on the peripheries of mandrels M to be referred to below. The curved surfaces -of the roller 1 and rail 4 form a path through which the mandrels are moved while a cylinder surrounding the .mand-rel is ribbed by radial pressure exerted thereon by the rol-ler 1 and rail 4. The rail 4I is supported by yieldable members 8 for movement towards and away from the roller 1 and is resiliently urged towards the roller 1 by a limited pre-load exerted by springs 9* for the purpose of maintaining the vribbing pressure while also accommodating the longitudinal side seam of the cylinder when the yside seam -is located between the roller '1 and the rail 4, it being undersood that the side seam is made up of a number of thicknesses of the cylinder material whereas the remainder of the cylinder consists only of a single thickness of the material.

The opposed surfaces of the rail 4 and the roller 1 may, as shown in the drawings, be concentric to define a path of substantially constant width through which the mandrels M are moved, or the curved. surface of the rail may be `eccentric to the roller to provide a path which is convergent in the direction of movement of the mandrel along the path. When the path is convergent the ribbing pressure is applied gradually to `a cylinder carried by the mandrel. The pre-loading of the rail by springs 9 must be suiiicient to accommodate the side seam of the cylinder in both cases.

The mandrels M are each mounted on a pivoted arm 10 supported by a conveyor 11 by which the mandrel is moved bodily between the pressure-applying devices and to and from positions at which a cylinder is positioned there-around for ribbing and is removed therefrom after ribbing respectively. The conveyor 11 is rotatable about the shaft 12 of roller 1 and shaft 12 is rotated by any desired means, for example by an electric motor not shown. Conveyor 11 is rotated by a gear 13 which meshes with a fixed internal gear 14 and a gear 15 rotatable with shaft 12.

A cylinder may be positioned relative to a mandrel M either by moving the cylinder axially relative to the mandrel or by moving the mandrel axially relative to the cylinder as may be most convenient. The means for placing a cylinder on a mandrel and for removing it therefrom after -ribbing form no part of the present invention and are not illustrated. Each mandrel M is provided with locating means 16, 17, FIGURE 3, by which the cylinder is located endwise relative thereto during ribbing of the cylinder and the diameter of the mandrel is slightly less than that of the interior diameter of the cylinder.

Each mandrel M has a diameter which is slightly less than that of a cylinder to be ribbed and is provided with the pattern 7 of peripheral ribbing which is to be applied to the cylinder and is supported by the conveyor 11 to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, the mandrel being positively rotated, by a pinion 18 meshing with a gear Wheel 19 rotatable with shaft 12, and roller 1, while it is moving the cylinder between the pressure-applying devices and such devices are `co-operating with the mandrel to effect ribbing of the cylinder.

During ribbing thereof the cylinder C is pressed radially against the mandrel at two opposite positions, as illustrated in FIGURE 4 which diagrammatic-,ally illustrates the mode of operation of the apparatus, and because the internal diameter of the cylinder is slightly greater than the diameter of the mandrel the cylinder is caused to assume an oval cross-section the minor axis of which corresponds to the diameter of the mandrel in the region of the ribbing provided on the mandrel. Since, however, the mandrel and the cylinder are rotated about the longitudmal axis of the mandrel, this being parallel to the axis of the pressure applying roller 1, the oval yform of the cylinder is constantly changing and the cylinder does not assume a permanently oval cross-section. The length of the path between the pressure-applying devices is such that the cylinder rotates sufliciently to ensure that ribbing is effected around the entire periphery thereof.

It will be understood that the ribbing pattern may be of any desired kind, for example the pattern may consist of a plurality of annular ribs, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, or it may consist of ribs which extend lengthwise of the cylinder, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, or it may consist of a multiple diamond pattern, or helical ribs, not illustrated.

With the form of apparatus described above the mandrel, the roller 1, and the curved rail 4 must be interchangeable parts to permit the machine to which they are fitted to be used to effect ribbing of cylinders of differing diameters.

To reduce the number of change parts required an alternative embodiment of the apparatus, FIGURE 7, is Similar to that described above but a plurality of rotatable and spring-loaded rollers 4a, one for each mandrel M, are carried on pivoted supports 8a and are arranged to replace the curved rail 4 above described. With this form of apparatus the roller 1, which is stationary, and the spring-loaded profile rollers 4a would not need to be changeable parts.

In a still further embodiment off the invention, FIGURE 8, the rotatable mandrels M are movable by the carrier 11, omitted from this figure, in -a fixed path and the pressure-applying devices eac'h consist of rotatable and spring-loaded prole rollers 4b, 1b mounted on pivoted arms 8b, 8c. With this form of apparatus the relative positions of the spring-loaded rollers can be adjusted to accommodate the size of cylinder to be ribbed and only the mandrels need be changeable parts.

We claim:

l. The method of ribbing a thin metal cylinder which includes disposing the cylinder about a peripherally ribbed mandrel 'the diameter of which is slightly less than that of the interior of the cylinder and rotating the cylinder and mandrel about the longitudinal axis thereof while applying opposed radial pressures thereto to conform the cylinder to the ribbed pattern of the mandrel and causing the cylinder to assume a constantly changing oval cross-section the minor axis of which corresponds to the diameter of the mandrel in the region of the ribbing provided thereon.

2. Apparatus for ribbing a thin metal cylinder, comprising at least one peripherally ribbed mandrel movable in a predetermined path by a support therefor, said mandrel having a diameter which is slightly less than that of a cylinder to be ribbed and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, and opposed pressure applying devices co-operating with the mandrel during rotation thereof to apply radial pressure to a thin metal cylinder surounding the mandrel.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressure-applying devices are provided with curved surfaces .to define a curved path along which` the mandrel is movable by said support during rotation of `the mandrel about its axis.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said support is rotatable and one of the pressure-applying devices comprises a roller the periphery of which is concentric with the axis of rotation of the support.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the other of said pressure-applying devices is supported for move-u ment towards and away from the periphery of the roller land is yieldably urged towards the roller.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said other pressure-applying device comprises a roller carried by an arm pivoted to said support and spring-urged towards the iirst-mentioned roller.

7. Apparatus -for ribbing a thin metal cylinder, comprising at least one peripherally ribbed mandrel movable with a rotatable support therefor, said mandrel having a diameter which is slightly less than that of a cylinder to be ribbed and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof, driving means operable positively to effect rotation of the mandrel about its axis, a roller supported for rotation about the axis of rotation of said support, and a pressure-applying device spaced from and co-operable with said roller to apply radial pressure to a thin metal cylinder surrounding the mandrel.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressure-applying device is supported for movement towards and away from the roller and is yieldably urged towards lthe roller.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pressure-applying device comprises a roller carried by an arm pivoted to said support and spring-urged towards said iirst-mentioned roller.

10. An apparatus for ribbing thin metal cylinders cornprising at least one peripherally ribbed mandrel member having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of a cylinder to be ribbed, means for rotating said mandrel member, a ribbing member cooperable with said mandrel member to effect the ribbing of a cylinder, said ribbing member having ribs thereon complementary to the ribbing of said mandrel member, a pressure applying member having a cylinder engaging surface disposed in diametrically opposed relation to said ribbing member, said mandrel member having a longitudinal axis, one of said members lbeing iixed against `lateral shifting, and means resiliently mounting the other two of said members for lateral movement transversely of said longitudinal axis to eiect pressure engagement of said members at diametrically opposite points on said mandrel member whereby a cylinder to be ribbed carried by said mandrel member is compressed Ito assume an oval cross-section having a minimum axis substantially equal to the diam Y 5 eter `of said mandrel member during a ribbing operation. ber is said mandrel member, and said pressure applying 11. The apparatus of claim y10 wherein said one mernmember and said ribbing member `are swingably mounted. ber is said ribbing member, and said mandrel member and said pressure applying members are swingably References Cited in the fue 0f this Patent mounted. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 12. The `apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pressure 2,513,358 Peterson July 4I 1950 applying member is in the form of an arcuate guide 2,558,741 Drygulski July 3 1951` and said mandrel member is carried by asupport mounted 2,617,456 Kmdoska N0v 11, 1952 for rotation about the axis of said ribbing member. 2,923,454 LaXO Mar, 15I 196() 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pressure 10 FOQEIGN PATENTS applying member is in the form of a roller.

14. The apparatus of claim 10' wherein said one mem- 61045 Great Bfltam APT- 25 1887 

1. THE METHOD OF RIBBING A THIN METAL CYLINDER WHICH INCLUDES DISPOSING THE CYLINDER ABOUT A PERIPHERALLY RIBBED MANDREL THE DIAMETER OF WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDER AND ROTATING THE CYLINDER AND MANDREL ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF WHILE APPLYING APPOSED RADIAL PRESSURES THERETO TO CONFORM THE CYLINDER TO THE RIBBED PATTERN OF THE MANDREL AND CAUSING THE CYLINDER TO ASSUME A CONSTANTLY CHANGING OVAL CROSS-SECTION THE MINOR AXIS OF WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE DIAMETER OF THE MANDREL IN THE REGION OF THE RIBBING PROVIDED THEREON. 